Sugar-free...is it always really?

[StillMamamia]

So many foods out there tout being sugar-free, when they've just replaced simple sugar with artificial sweeteners, and can, from my understanding, impact blood sugar just as much. Also, the complex carbs can still be present.
I'm sure many people, myself included, think 'hey, we can just eat sugar-free stuff and that'll be easier to manage blood sugars'. And this may lead us to look at other factors, besides nutrition, that are making blood sugar levels hard to manage. (I'm not implying that other factors don't affect bg)

What have your experiences with this been?
Have you consciously eliminated/avoided sugar free foods/drinks and replaced them with simple (nothing 'industrial') foods?
Any advice?
Any nutrition or other helpful links?

Thanks for your input!

[toohughey]

Nichole has to bolus 10 carbs for her favorite "sugar free" gum. It has xylatol but it still spikes her BS.

TRACY

[Thoover]

My father in Law who is a Type 2, when he eats the sugar free stuff the alcohol sugars makes his numbers spike. I have noticed that in DD as well. So we have been playing with the so called Sugar Free stuff and putting something into her pump so we don't see that spike.

[Amy C.]

Other than soda, we stay away from sugar free foods. It seems weird to ingest all those chemicals when sugar, in moderatation can be consumed.

[Jacob'sDad]

Jacob had 2 pcs of "sugar free" Werther's last night and went from 122 to 292 from 11pm to 3:30am. I don't know what else would have caused the spike. I should have bolused him for 1/2 the carbs. I guessed that he'd be OK. I guessed wrong. That spikes seems easy to overcorrect too. He was 77 at breakfast.

[Nancy in VA]

I don't look at "sugar", I look at carbs. Sugar Free Jelly still has 5 g carbs for 1 tbsp. In that case, its from sugar alcohols. There is actually "Sugar Free" bread and it has about 12g carbs per slice.

I full dose for carbs - 1/2 of sugar alcohols - fiber

[lil'Man'sMom]

We let Manning have sugar-free Popsicles...I noticed a spike but was not sure where it came from. Next time he has a pop I am going to track his bs to see what happens. Bummer if he needs a shot because he loves them, especially in the warmer months.

[Brensdad]

I don't look at "sugar", I look at carbs. Sugar Free Jelly still has 5 g carbs for 1 tbsp. In that case, its from sugar alcohols. There is actually "Sugar Free" bread and it has about 12g carbs per slice.

I full dose for carbs - 1/2 of sugar alcohols - fiber

Exactly. Plus all the "sugar-free" stuff is loaded with carbs and...yuck...lard. Not to mention the belly-bloating gas-inducing maltitols and sorbitols.

[danismom79]

The only sugar free things we eat/drink are diet soda, crystal light, and jello. I pay way more attention to total carbs. I'm trying to get people (family and friends) out of the "just keep her away from sugar" train of thought.

[Nightowl]

We bolus for all artificial sweetners except stevia and liquid splenda. I have read that all powdered sweetners except stevia cause your sugar to spike just as much and often times more than regular sugar. That has certainly been our experience. We love the sugar free davinci syrups made with liquid splenda.

[StillMamamia]

We bolus for all artificial sweetners except stevia and liquid splenda. I have read that all powdered sweetners except stevia cause your sugar to spike just as much and often times more than regular sugar. That has certainly been our experience. We love the sugar free davinci syrups made with liquid splenda.

Thanks for your input.
I've never seen stevia in my neck of the woods. Got to look into that too.

[BrendaK]

We have just started using stevia in the last few months. It's wonderful!! I use it in my coffee and the boys sometimes have it sprinkled on cereal or in smoothies.

And we very much avoid foods that are specifically labeled sugar free. Carson and I are super sensitive to sugar alcohols and have awful upset tummys after eating any of that stuff. We avoid it like the plague. And it usually has more carbs than regular stuff.

[Connie(BC)Type 1]

I look for unsweetened or sweetened with Stevia, or sugar and bolus accordingly, I don't like most sweet things though.
There's a new soda out in the USA call Zevia, it's really nice


http://www.zevia.com/